The Florintines
by roseflorintine
Summary: No demigods. Percy and the whole entire gang prepare themselves for another boring year of high school. But, 5 new girls bring a year they'll never forget. First fic, R&R please.
1. Prologue

**Prolougue**

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><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: I own nothing. <em>**

It was senior year of Sandy High school, for Percy at least. But this year, everyone was chattering about the _five_ new girls who were coming. No one knew where they had come from, or who exactly they were. They called themselves the Floresa Family, and everyone was curious to them. "Hey!" Annabeth, Percy's longtime friend, called as she walked over. "The new girls are coming today, and I want a close look at them."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Never thought you would be one for gossip Wise Girl."

Annabeth stomped her foot, "I do not gossip, Seaweed Brain! But you have to admit, _five_ new girls are very interesting."

Percy nodded, and they walked off, discussing what the new girls might be. Little did they know, these new girls would bring the most exciting year of their lives.

_AN: Well? Like it? Hate it? Five reviews would make me very happy. _


	2. Chapter 1: Odd White Powder

_Chapter 1_

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><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: I own nothing..<em>**

**_AN: Look, I really just want one review per chapter, more would be nice, but at least one please. I know this sucks, but at least give the first three chapters a try._**

**Annabeth's POV**

I have to admit, these girls must be something if the gossips will talk about nothing else. But, it seemed the most interesting detail of all was that nobody knew anything about them. Now, let me tell you, those gossips are like _stalkers_ if they want to lean about you, so I was mildly impressed that these girls had managed to keep their lives secret. "Maybe they're aliens." Percy suggested with an impish smile. I whacked him on the head with a binder. "OK, OK," Percy held up his hands, "Just a possibility."

Suddenly, all around us, a ripple of whispers rose. Thalia, another one of our friends, ran up. "The Floresa Family is here!" she hissed. "Really?" Percy said sarcastically, "I had no clue."

This time Thalia whacked him. "Ouch!" he hissed, "What is this? Is it 'hit Percy Monday'?"

"Shush!" Thalia whispered, "Here they come!"

Five girls, each one the exact same in height, hairstyle, skin color, and eye color walked by. The only difference between them were their hair hue and the shade that their clothes were. I took a closer look and realized that their clothes were also identical, just different in color. Once they had passed, Percy grabbed my arm, causing my heart to start beating quickly. "Did you see them?" he asked incredulously, "It's no wonder people talk about them."

Thalia piped up, "It's wrong to just judge them on how they look. I, for one, am planning on befriending them. If you hadn't been staring at their sameness, you would have noticed how afraid they looked."

I thought back and felt a rush of guilt, they _had_ looked afraid. "I'll talk with them too." I offered.

Thalia nodded in satisfaction, "Good, Percy?"

Percy still looked a bit unsettled, "I don't know, it's just that they look so creepy."

Thalia raised her hand threateningly. Percy yelped and ran to cower behind me, "Alright, alright, I'll show them around."

**Thalia's POV**

I ran up to the group, and chirped, "Hey! Welcome to Sandy High School!" They slowly turned around, and looked at me. The girl at the front, who had jet black hair and chocolate eyes, gave a hesitant little wave, and said in a trembling voice, "Hi, I'm Rose, this is Maple," she pointed to the auburn haired girl, "Heather," A girl with dark brown hair, "Theogo" a girl with dirty blond hair, "And Lily." and a girl with light brown hair. "Wow," I said, "That is a whole lot of names to remember."

Rose finally cracked a smile, and it was like a sunbeam shining through storm clouds. "Yeah, we get that a lot, but all you have to do is associate a color with each one of us."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"How about you go get your friends, we prefer to just tell a group of people." This time it was Maple who said it.

I nodded, and tugged them along, searching for Percy and Annabeth. Finally, I located them next to their lockers, talking. I took my hand off Roses wrist to wave them over.

**Nobody's POV**

What Thalia didn't notice was that her hand was covered with an odd white powder, and that when she waved to percy and annabeth, the white poweder quickly fluttered to the floor. Simultaneously, Rose stifled a gasp, and put her hand that Thalia had gripped behind her back. With practiced ease, Heather took out a jar of the odd powder and rapidly reapplied it, then stowed the jar away. Just as the jar was safely tucked away, Percy and Annabeth came sauntering up, eager to meet the new girls. In her head, Rose thought, _Whew! That was a close call._


	3. Chapter 2: Cat Got Your Tongue?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**AN: Yippee! Somebody finally reviewed, but it was anonymous. Anyways, to the person who reviewed: They aren't **_**something**_** but something did happen to them, something they are hiding from everybody, feel free to take a guess! **

_Chapter 2_

**Thalia's POV**

"Hey!" I greeted Percy, "Where's Nico and Grover?"

"Right here!" two voices chorused, and they rushed up. "Have you heard about-" "The new girls?" I finished, raising an eyebrow. They nodded. "Well, c'mon, I was about to introduce you to them."

As we had talked, the Floresa Family had walked up. Nico stared at them, his jaw somewhere on the floor. "Stop before you drool." I teased, elbowing him. "This is Rose, Maple, Heather, Theogo, and Lily." I said, pointing to each one as I spoke. They said in unison, "Pleased to meet you."

Grover said, "Hiya! I'm Grover!" They jumped nervously when he said it, and didn't reply. Suddenly, I felt a strange tickling at my nose, and began to sneeze. "Thalia?" Annabeth asked, "Are you OK?"

I nodded as the strange sensation began to pass. I rubbed at my nose, and a bit of white powder fell on my hand. "That's odd." I murmured. Then again, it may have just been some sort of pollen. "Thalia?" I looked up, and realized that they were waiting for me to answer a question I hadn't even heard. "Repeat that?" I asked.

"I said, do you understand?" Rose said. I was confused, understand _what_? Annabeth sighed. "Rose just explained that each of them try to stick to a single color that they wear so you can identify them. Rose is blue, Maple green, Heather red, Theogo purple, and Lily black." she explained.

Just as we finished, Emily, head cheerleader and the meanest girl in school, walked up, shaking out her strawberry blond hair. "Hi Percy." she said, sticking out her chest. "Hi Emily," Percy said, looking really uncomfortable. "I am talking to my friends here, so could you please leave for now?"

"Oh," she said, "You mean those freaks?" she pointed a perfect manicured finger at the Floresas, and it took all I had not to break that little finger. However, the next thing that happened stunned us all. Rose stepped right up and said, "I think you've made it perfectly clear that you have a chest, well here's news for you: SO DO I, I JUST DON'T SHOW IT OFF LIKE A TROPHY!" Emily looked at her, stunned. Almost every new girl who came here wanted to be her slave, and _nobody_ shouted at her that way. Maple leaned over and said in a sugary sweet voice, "Cat got your tongue?"


	4. Chapter 3: Report

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Yay! Another review. To ASenseofImagination, yes, but I don't believe in them just falling in love, I shall make them _realize_ it, but I still haven't figured out how though. Suggestions are welcome. **

_Chapter 3_

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><p><strong>Annabeth's POV<strong>

I could not believe it. Whether I liked it or not, I had to admit that Emily was pretty intimidating. I was beggining to like these girls. Emily stormed off, stomping angrily. "Wow." Percy said, looking shell shocked. Heather stepped forward and said, "We got teased a lot in our other schools, and have learned how to make them back off."

I nodded appreciatively, then paused. "Why would people make fun of you guys? I'm not male, but I think you can be classified as gorgeous." Lily spoke, "People didn't know what to make of us, so they teased us. It's either that or the popular people didn't like us having good looks." she shook her head as she spoke, the light making it look honey blond.

I checked my watch. "The bell should ring anytime now, so how about we compare schedules?" Apparently, the school had taken pity on them and all their schedules were the same. But the rest of us had different ones. The Floresas assured us that they would be fine together, and we all went to our first classes.

As I sat alone in music, my thoughts wandered. I may have been overreacting, but something seems... off about the Floresas. They obviously were uncomfortable around boys, the Grover incident was enough to prove that, but _why_?

**After School (I'm too lazy to describe 6 hours of school)**

"Dad, I'm home!" (AN: In this story Annabeth gets along with her step mom ok... sorta.) I called as I dropped my stuff on the counter. "Annabeth," Helen, my stepmom, scolded "Don't trail mu-, wait, why are you tracking makeup into the kitchen?"

Makeup? I looked behind me and indeed there were powdery white footprints. I scooped up a bit and brought it over to Helen. "What type is this?" I asked curiously.

She put down the knife she had been chopping carrots with and peered at the powder. "I forgot what it's called, but that is a type of heavy makeup to cover up scars and bruises." I nodded, then trudged up the stairs. The Floresas were mysterious, that was for sure. But for now I picked up a pencil and my notebook. I had a report on Abigail Gedara, we drew random names from a hat to do reports on various deceased people , due next week. I was in the advanced group, so I had a person who wasn't in my community, but instead in another one. Abigail Gedara was from Danville, Kentucky, and I had one heck of a job to do.

**AN: Yes, the report is pivotal in the story. It is the cause of Annabeth finding out about what happened to the Floresas. Meanwhile, does anyone want to have a guess at what happened to them?**


	5. Chapter 4: Article

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Yay! I got another review, and wanted to say thank you Kittycat32. Kittycat32, you get a cyber lollipop! Now, onto the story, and this is the time when Annabeth finds out! Oh, and i changed my mind, I decided not to do that much action. This story focuses more on friendship and getting over traumatizing events.**

_Chapter 4_

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><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

I went into the library archives, to check out the newspapers. The teacher knew that the current head librarian had been born in Danville, and still kept copies of Danville's newspaper too. I scanned them, when a picture caught my eye. I took a look, and them sucked in a huge breath. The picture was of the Floresa family. They each looked to be about ten, and the most unusual thing was that the were _smiling_! And it wasn't the timid smiles they gave is, these smiles were huge, and genuine. I quickly printed the article under it out, and ran home, thoughts circling in my head. As soon as I was home, I ran up the stairs to my room, and firmly locked the door, and then whipped out the article.

**Five Girls Run Away**

_A perfectly peaceful day in Danville was interrupted when a hysterical man ran up, claiming that his daughters had run away. The man's name was Marcus Florintine, father to Alicia Florintine, Amelia Florintine, Angela Florintine, Mia Florintine, and Summer Florintine, as displayed in the picture above. Marcus claims to not know why his beloved daugters ran, only noting that they have begun to get moody, even going as far as slapping him when in a fit of emotion. In this picture above, the girls are only nine, but they are really thirteen. If found, please contact Marcus Florintine at 859-456-2341._

My fingers wrapped around the paper, crumpling it. Thoughts whirled in my brain. I struggled to think. I had gotten to know the Floresas, I really had, and I thought they were nice, humble people. I took a deep breath, and started thinking about the main debate, whether Marcus was lying or the Floresas (now Florintines) lying? As I lay in bed that night, I tossed and turned, my thoughts like a hurricane. I couldn't wait to get to school, and when I finally did sleep, I had nightmares, speckled with right lights and the Floresas/Florintines screaming. Finally I woke out of the terrifying dreams, and glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand. It read 5:45. I sighed, and got up. After going through my morning ritual, I grabbed my bag and darted through my door, yelling that I was going to school. As soon as I went in I singled the Floresas/Florintines out. I thrusted the article towards them, and Rose took it, surprised at my unfriendliness.

**Rose POV**

I gingerly accepted the paper, wondering what would make Annabeth so angry. My eyes scanned the paragraph, and then gasped. I showed my sisters the paper, and they too gasped. Theogo gasped with anger, "He dares to call us his 'beloved' daughters?" she hissed. "After what he does, he DARES?"

I patted her arm, reassuring her. Annabeth was still there, looking expectant. "Look," I said. "I can't show you anything right now, but come to our house, 101 Briarpath Dr., and we'll explain it. And when we do tell, I'm sure you'll agree to keep it secret. Please, don't show that to anybody. After all, it's just a twisted version of the truth."

After she left, we all sighed, tracing the invisible scars hidden under a thick layer or makeup, all thinking back to the horrific life we had in Danville.

**AN: There you have it. Now, the next question is: Who's lying? Review and take a random guess!**


	6. Chapter 5: Memories Part One

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Yay, another review!**

**Kittycat32: Nice guess, and I enjoy being unique.**

_Chapter 5_

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><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

I stepped out of my car, and felt my jaw drop. I was looking at a towering mansion, constructed with white bricks and marble. It was elegant, and looked like it was some 5 stories tall. There was a golden gate in the front, with a tiny box on it. I looked closer, and realized it was a microphone. Gently, I pressed the red button. "Who is this?" Rose's melodic voice rang from the microphone. "Annabeth." I stated, my voice quivering slightly. There was a pause, then Rose said, "Come in."

There was a click, and the gates swung open. I advanced and walked up the stairs, then knocked on the door. "It's unlocked." Five voices called from inside. I opened it up, and nearly gasped again. The house was the most open place that I had ever seen. Inside, it was a cylinder, with four balconies. To get to each one, there was a gigantic spiral staircare, and the railing on each level opened to let a person. "Hello?" I asked, my voice ringing in the emptiness. "Here." I looked up, and the five Florintines(**AN: From now on Annabeth is going to call the the Florintines.) **step out of a room on the first level, then descended, wearing simple laced up dresses. As they approached, I gave a gasp before I could stifle it. They all smiled wanly. It was a terrifying scene, they looked like they had been sewn together. Their eyes filled with tears, as they took in my expression, which was probably disgusted. I quickly changed my expression, trying to be more friendly. Tears began to leak out of Lily and Heather's eyes, and Theogo comforted them. Rose and Maple stepped forward, and I could see their scars even better, and those scars came from everywhere. Slowly, Rose nodded to everybody, and they tugged their laces loose **(AN: Minds out of gutter, they're just showing her the scars.)** I gasped again. Rose started talking. "We are all sisters, quintuplets in fact. We all had a happy childhood, but our mother and father started agruing. Me and Maple absorbed the worst of it, because we usally tried to shield the rest of them. Our father was a doctor. It all started when we were 8..."

**_Flashback (Nobody's POV)_**

_"Hi daddy!" Five girls chirped as they skipped in the door, but while they sounded like the Florintines, they were different. Maple and Theogo had freckles, and Rose had higher cheekbones. Marcus turned, and there was a crazy glint in his eye. Surprised, Rose and Maple pushed the rest of them back. "Where's mommy?" Rose asked. _

_"Mommy left, now we're going to the doctor's."_

_Maple asked, "Why?" The father whirled around, and pushed all the girls roughly outside and into the the car. Minutes later, they were in front of a place, with a sign that read _Danville Plastic Surgeon_. He ushered then in. Five hours later, they exited, and a great change had occurred. The girls, despite their tear-streaked faces, were now identical, except for hair color and voices. Later, they moved to another house, so they could go to another school, and wouldn't be recognized. From that day on, the girls knew something dreadful had taken the place of their once loving father._

**_Flashback_****_ over_**

Annabeth gasped in horror at the memory. "But _why_?" she asked, her voice breaking at the word _why_. "Our mother left that day, and our father was so angry that her wanted to obliterate all traces of her. So he made us like miniature versions of him. You would never be able to identify who our mother was. That day was painful, both physically and mentally." Rose answered.

Heather said, tears flowing down. "And it only got worse. One day, about a month after the plastic surgery..."

_**Flashback**_

_"We're back daddy." Heather, always so cheerful, barreled in. Unknowingly barreling straight into a vase, smashing it. The father stood up, anger blazing in the depths of his dark brown eyes. "You little _bitch."_ he hissed. "I-I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean it." Heather said, tears filling her eyes. Marcus backhanded her roughly, throwing her on the floor. Rose and Maple rushed in. "We're ba-" Rose began to say, and then saw Heather crying on the floor. Marcus kicked Heather in the ribs, making her whimper in pain. "Daddy!" Rose exclaimed, then ran over to Heather, checking over her. Maple rushed between Rose and Marcus as Theogo and Lily entered, also acting quickly, and guarding with Maple. Marcus shoved the lot of them into the stairs, then growled, "Go to your room."_

_They rushed Heather to their small, cramped room. Rose fetched a book from one of her drawers. "What's that?" Theogo asked. "Shhh! I stole it from one of daddy's shelves. It tells you how to treat wounds!" Rose said._

_"But Alicia (AN: That was her old name.), you can barely read!" Maple hissed._

_Rose looked determined, tears filling her eyes. "It's worth a try, besides, I am in the advanced readers' group, I'll manage!" She opened the book, looking up bruises. "Bruises- Will heal on their own, to ease pain, a...app...apply ice." She read out loud. Heather shook her head. "I'll be fine." she said. Rose's eyes lit up. She pulled out huge box from under her bed. She lifted out a jar from the box. "It's makeup," she explained, "We can't just let people see the bruises! If we do, then daddy might hurt us even more. Here, let me help you put this on."_

_The next day, the girls walked to school, still looking identical. That was the day when Rose started learning how to treat sickness and wounds. _

**_Flashback ends_**

Annabeth was starting to cry from the horrid things they told her. Rose looked at her sympathetically, and said, "We have one or two more memories to show. It's the day when we finally decided to run away, and how we hid. We ran a week after our thirteenth birthday. We had been planning it for a month..."

**AN: I decided to separate the telling of memories into two parts! Well, please just leave a comment, and feel free to tell me if a part sucks (or the whole thing).**


	7. Chapter 6: Memories Part Two

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Tons of reviews! Oh, and to anybody who is reading this, I will probably mysteriously vanish for about two weeks at the end of July, 'cause I'll be in Alaska and then school. But I promise to update AT LEAST once a month. To all reviewers, you guys get cyber-brownies! Oh, and I'm only recognizing the people that reviwed for the chapter before, since if I didn't have some sort of order, I would get a migraine, but thanks to anybody who reviewed, including Towerprepfan , who is awesome. Oh, and Sandy HIgh school is officially in Miami, Florida, but they're about 3 hrs from the beach. **

**Kittycat32: Yes, as a matter of fact Marcus _is_ evil! Oh, and thanksfor the reviews.**

**Skywriter5: Yep, Marcus did awful things to his daughters, and as you can see, I updated.**

**The Fabulous Killjoy: I'll tell you how they can afford the house in this chapter.**

_Chapter 6_

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><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

I could only stand there, frozen in horror, as the awful tale unfolded.

_**Flashback**_

_The day had come when it was time to run away. Over the years, the girls had accumulated scars, burns, scrapes, and bruises, most of which they didn't even remember where they came from. Rose had packed changes of clothes in their backpacks and they each had a miniature tent and a few belongings, along with cash, in their duffel bags. After all, today was gym day in school, so they could use the duffel bags. They walked to school, but veered off halfway, and went behind a clump of trees. "Well?" Maple asked. "How do we get outta this town?"_

_Rose smiled slyly, and then showed them her bag. On top were her clothes, but under that was cash, full clumps of it. Heather snatched up a roll. All the bills were hundreds. "You stole money from him?" Heather asked._

_Rose shook her head. "I didn't steal. I took back what was ours. That bastard sold drugs; pair that with him being a doctor, and he's rich. But each day he starved and beat us, he _deserves _to be robbed. Now, we need new names. I am Rose Lilac Floresa, and you guys can choose names of your own."_

_After they each had chosen a new name. Rose hailed a taxi, and they were off to Lexington, Kentucky, where the Bluegrass Airport awaited._

**_Flashback ends_**

"But that isn't the end of the story." Rose said. "Fortunately, the horrific part is over, this is just an explanation of how we ended up here."

Annabeth nodded, then noticed that they had put their dresses back on. She had been so absorbed in the story, she hadn't even noticed it. Rose said, "Then we jst ran as far away as we could from Marcus..."

_**Flashback**_

_They took the plane to a place far, far away, Miami, in fact. First, they purchased more of the heavy makeup. Then, they bought school curriculum's, so they could learn by themselves at home. Finally, they began the long, laborious task of house shopping. They searched everywhere, wanting to find a house that was open, so they could feel free. None of the houses pleased them. Then, one day, while they went hiking, they stumbled onto the house. As soon as they saw it, they knew that it was their dream house **(AN: And my dream house too!)** so they knocked on the door. An elderly lady opened the door. Rose asked politely, "Excuse me, but we would like to purchase this house." the elderly lady shook her head. "No, dearie, you take it for free." Rose gaped, "But it is so wonderful an-" _

_The lady cut her off. "No, I won't take money for it. I have grown old, and am at the very end of my life. I have no relatives to give this house to, and I would like nothing more than to give it to you. My death is near, and all I ask is that you accompany me for the last few hours of my life." _

_The Florintines, shaken with pity for this poor, old woman, agreed. They dusted, cleaned, and cooked. That old woman died a happy person, knowing that her beloved house rested in safe hands. When she died, the Florintines buried her themselves, using some old shovels they had found in a tool shed out back. After she was underground, the girls took a slab of loose stone, and wrote _Here Lies Anne Ferris, A Kind Woman_. Since Rose had packed each one of their bags with lots of cash, they would have no trouble surviving. Theogo asked, "Did he keep this much money at home?" _

_Rose shook her head. "He has a bank account with his money. I stole his password and took about three fourths of the money he had."_

_"Won't he report it?" Heather asked curiously._

_Rose shook her head again. "He's too prideful to admit that five girls tricked him and stole his money."_

_They all nodded. Over the next few years, they taught themselves, bought all the furniture they needed, filling up most of the rooms. Then, one day, Rose said, "I think it's time we went back into civilization. It's been many years, and I think we can go back to school. After all, we need to complete this year to be able to go to college." So they discussed it and agreed to go to school, and so they ended up in Sandy High School._

_**Flashback Ended**_

**Annabeth POV**

I gaped at them, and then abruptly asked, "Why on earth didn't you report him?"

Rose sighed, shaking her head sadly. "This is the real world Annabeth. Who would have the judges believed? Five teenagers or a very prestigious doctor? That was a battle we couldn't win, so we ran away to build a new life where we could be safe."

My shoulders slumped; they had a point. "It's getting late." Lily said, tactfully changing the subject. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was indeed setting. I jumped up, yelling goodbye to them, running out the door. As I drove home, an idea began forming in my mind, after all, my birthday, August 25 was drawing near, and I had a plan coming on.

**AN: Well? Like it? Hate it? Just click that little button and tell me.**


	8. Chapter 7: Truth or Dare

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Yay, more reviews! Oh, and if you are reading this right now, let me tell you: REVIEW AFTER YOU READ IT! This is my very weak attempt at humor that will no doubt suck, but the last thing in this chapter will also be vital to the plot.**

**Kittycat32: Liking the plot?**

**Skywriter5: Why thank you!**

_Chapter 7_

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><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

It was my birthday, and I was intending to use it to my best advantage. I knew that the Florintines _had_ to reveal their secret. She couldn't just tell Percy, Thalia, Nico, and Grover. After all, it was the Florintines' secret. But she could set up a situation where the had to tell. The doorbell rang, and I knew it was time to set up the situation. I opened it, being very careful to compose my I-am-a-manic-planning-something expression into an I-am-so-excited expression. "Happy Birthday!" everyone chimed as they filed in. I shut the door, and announced, "Because it is my birthday... we shall be playing Truth or Dare!" Immediately, Thalia, Nico, and Percy's expressions lit up, and Grover, along with the Florintines, groaned.

"Get in a circle. Now, we are going to spin a bottle. whoever the bottle lands on first, will give the challenge. Whoever the bottle lands on second, gets to choose truth or dare. Got it?" I said in a crisp voice.

They all nodded, and so the game was set into motion. First, the bottle laded on Rose, then Grover. Rose asked, "Truth or Dare, Grover?" I nearly burst out laughing right then and there. Rose had put on an evil/maniacal expression, and Grover looked like he was going to wet his pants any moment. "Dare." he called out. "I dare you to allow Thalia to give you a full makeover."

Thalia, without further ado, grabbed Grover and hauled him up the stairs. Moments later, he descended. We all stared at him in shock. A second passed... two seconds... and we all began rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically. Thalia had somehow gotten Grover into a long, blond wig, a pink miniskirt, and a tank top that was way too small. she had also applied heavy eye shadow, and ruby lipstick. Maple finally hauled herself up, and got out, ""Thalia, where did you get the wig?"

She shrugged. "Found it in Annabeth's closet and thought it might suit Grover's complexion." They all turned to stare at me. I shrugged. "Helen cut my hair way too short once."

Finally, we got our breathing under control and played round two. This time, the bottle landed on Nico, then Thalia. Nico smiled wickedly. "Thalia, truth or dare?"

Thalia said, "Dare!"

"Thalia, I dare you to go outside, and hold up a very bright sign that says 'I love you' to any car that passes by!"

We all howled with laughter as a very upset Thalia went outside. She sighed. On the third car that passed by, it abruptly stopped, and the driver rolled down a window. "Say," he said. "You wanna come home with me?"

"EW, GO AWAY YOU PERVERT!" she screamed, and proceeded to smash the sign on his head, then stomp away. We went ack in the house. Then, the bottle landed on me, then Heather. "Heather, truth or dare?" I asked calmly.

"Dare." she replied confidently.

"I dare you to pour water all over yourself and your siblings."


	9. Chapter 8: Karaoke

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: Yay! Even more reviews!**

**Kittycat32: Yeah, that guy was a pervert, and the makeup will dissolve when touched by water.**

**jake1111111111(): Yeah, that was my first attempt at a cliffhanger.**

**Fanfiction Ninja: Why thank you! I adore cookies.**

**Suki-Alanna- Thanks!**

_Chapter 8_

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><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

Heather gazed at me in mute horror. Rose stood up, and said in a deadly calm voice, "Annabeth, a word please?" All the while, Percy, Nico, Thalia, and Grover wore equally confused expressions. Rose didn't wait for my answer, she stood up and dragged me out, beckoning her sisters to come along. They had firmly locked the door. Rose turned on me. "Are you CRAZY?" she demanded. The rest of them nodded in agreement. I felt myself soften in pity. "You're trapped this way." I insisted. "You need to let go of your past. Don't worry, none of us will tell." They all opened their mouths, and then closed them, heaving a sigh of resignation. Heather stalked over to the kitchen, and pulled out five cups. She filled them with water, then handed them out. They stalked in the room, and as one, threw the water over themselves. At first, my friends seemed confused, then horrified as the water trickled over their faces, washing away the heavy makeup, and revealing the scars and burns that were the work of Marcus. Percy was the first to speak, and unfortunately he was not very tactful. "You guys look hideous." he breathed.

_Ooooh, wrong thing to say Seaweed Brain_, I thought wincing. Heather stalked forward. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we _are_ hideous. Thank you for that bit of wisdom, Captain Obvious." she hissed.

Thalia chipped in, "What happened?" she asked.

**_After all Flashbacks are Told_**

I saw my friends gaze at the Florintines incredulously. To break the tension a bit, I said brightly, "Well, we still have a few hours left. How about we all go to that karaoke place after the Florintines change?"

Nico whooped. "Boys vs. Girls?" he asked mischievously.

Everyone's faces lit up, and we started hustling.

Moments later, we arrived at Karaoke Club. "Alright," Said the DJ. "We've got a little contest going. The next two groups are competing agasnst each other, and YOU, the audience, gets to choose by applause and cheers!" The people cheered, riled up.

We debated on what song to do, trying to hurry. Rose's eyes suddenly lit up, and she began to smile secretively. "We can do Cinderella!" she whisper-shouted. We all agreed on it. Rose straightened up. "We would like to to Cinderella." she stated.

The DJ just shrugged and started playing the song.

**(letters represent who is singing, and I will not describe dancing, just use your imagination)**

**R**

_When I was just a little girl  
>My momma used to tuck me into bed<br>And she'd read me a story_

**M**

_It always was about  
>A princess in distress<br>And how a guy would save her  
>And end up with the glory<em>

**H**

_I'd lie in bed and think about  
>The person that I wanted to be<br>Then one day I realized the  
>Fairy tale life, wasn't for me<em>

**L**

_I'd lie in bed and think about_  
><em>The person that I wanted to be<em>  
><em>Then one day I realized the<em>  
><em>Fairy tale life, wasn't for me<em>

**All**

_I don't wanna be like Cinderella_  
><em>Sittin' in a dark old dusty cellar<em>  
><em>Waiting for somebody, to come and set me free<em>  
><em>I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting<em>  
><em>For a handsome prince to come and save me<em>  
><em>On a horse of white, unless we're riding side by side<em>  
><em>Don't want to depend on no one else<em>  
><em>I'd rather rescue myself<em>

**The**

_One day I'm gonna find someone who wants my soul, heart, and mind_  
><em>Who's not afraid to show that he loves me<em>  
><em>Somebody who will understand I'm happy just the way I am<em>  
><em>Don't need nobody taking care of me<em>

**A**

_I will be there for him just as strong as he will be there for me  
>When I give myself then it has to got to be, an equal thing<em>

**All**

_I don't wanna be like Cinderella_  
><em>Sittin' in a dark old dusty cellar<em>  
><em>Waiting for somebody, to come and set me free<em>  
><em>I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting<em>  
><em>For a handsome prince to come and save me<em>  
><em>On a horse of white, unless we're riding side by side<em>  
><em>Don't want to depend on no one else<em>  
><em>I'd rather rescue myself<em>

_I can slay, my own dragons_  
><em>I can dream, my own dreams<em>  
><em>My knight in shining armour is me<em>  
><em>So I'm gonna set me free<em>

_I don't wanna be like Cinderella  
>Sittin' in a dark old dusty cellar<br>Waiting for somebody, to come and set me free  
>I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting<br>For a handsome prince to come and save me  
>On a horse of white, unless we're riding side by side<br>Don't want to depend on no one else  
>I'd rather rescue myself<em>

_I don't wanna be like Cinderella  
>Sittin' in a dark old dusty cellar<br>Waiting for somebody, to come and set me free  
>I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting<br>For a handsome prince to come and save me  
>On a horse of white, unless we're riding side by side<br>Don't want to depend on no one else  
>I'd rather rescue myself<em>

_I don't wanna be like Cinderella  
>Sittin' in a dark old dusty cellar<br>Waiting for somebody, to come and set me free  
>I don't wanna be like Snow White waiting<br>For a handsome prince to come and save me  
>On a horse of white, unless we're riding side by side<br>Don't want to depend on no one else  
>I'd rather rescue myself.<em>

We finished, and marched off the stage. "Beat that!" Rose said smugly to the boys. Suddenly, her phone rang. She took it out, checking her new text. She took a look, then froze, as blood drained from her face. The phone slipped between her fingers, and Maple barely caught it in time before it shattered on the floor. She handed it to me, as my eyes scanned he screen.


	10. Chapter 9: Fears

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: This is short, I know, but necessary. I shall close this up in about 3 chapters, give or take a bit, and cyber Hershey Bars to EVERYONE who reviewed! Want one? REVIEW THIS TIME PLEASE! Happy 4 of July to everybody, and does anyone like Bad Day by Daniel Powter? **

**Skywriter5: Yes. *sighs regretfully* Percy is one heck of a Seaweed Brain.**

**Kittycat32: Thank you; I try.**

**Towerprepfan: Aww... Thanks!**

**klydo: Sorry, can't tell you what it says, but I did update!**

_Chapter 9_

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

I took a look at the screen, and immediately understood. It contained a picture of the Florintines with their scars exposed. Underneath there was a play sign. I clicked on it, and faint speaking came through. It was the Florintines telling us about their past. The message said, "If u r wise u will do what i say, or else ur father will hear this. Sincerely, C.C."

A pale hand snatched it away. I looked up at the unnaturally pale face of Rose. She called out, "We're sorry, but we have to leave, it's an emergency." Without waiting for an answer, she rushed out, with all of us following her. Maple looked at me and held out her hands. "Keys." She commanded. I didn't argue; it was obvious they were on the verge of screaming. I meekly held out them, and she snatched them away. Within moments, we were on our way to their house. They slammed open the door, and then without led us up the stairs. I expected them to just lead us to the fourth floor, but they revealed another staircase in a room on the forth floor. "Where does this lead?" Thalia asked curiously. Rose stated curtly, "A hidden floor, without windows, where nobody can hear us. Now be quiet; do you want for that person to find us?" That was enough to shut us all up. Soon, we came to a huge, ornate door with a lock on it. Rose took out a tiny golden key that glittered. She thrust it in and turned it twice. With a tiny click, the lock fell away and the door swing open. I looked in and gave a quiet gasp. It was a huge library, with shelves as far as the eye could see, with armchairs and lamps to read by. Without halting, the Florintines led us to a circle of armchairs. We each sank into one. Rose took out her phone. "Who on earth is C.C?" She demanded. Furiously, we a wracked our brains for a person with the initials C.C. Suddenly, Rose's phone beeped again. Shakily, she took out the phone. There was one new text message. "i go 2 ur school. now, my first command is that u have 2 go 2 school 2morrow without any makeup." she read out loud.

The Florintines looked at each other in horror. Suddenly, Rose stood up and stiffly shook her head. "No." She stated. "We won't do it. Let Marcus come. We have these scars to prove everything. We've grown up, it's time to stop running." One by one, the Florintines stood up as their eyes hardened to steel. Rose turned to us and said in a soft voice, "We won't do it, and I think your parents will be missing you by now."

I think we all knew instinctively that it was time to leave. One by one we departed. I took one last look at the towering house before I drove away.

**Rose POV**

In my bedroom on the second floor, I gently rubbed off the makeup, tracing the scars. They still felt like they hurt sometimes, but that was in our imaginations. A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. I opened the door, and all four of my sisters stood there, tears in their eyes. I drew them into a hug, then led them onto the fourth floor. Opening a door, I revealed a bedroom with five beds, each one a different color. They had been used when we had just escaped, and were still afraid. "We used these when we were kids." protested Maple. I smiled sadly and said, "Maybe it's ok to be a kid once in a while." **(AN: Anyone recognize this line? If you do, PM me and tell me.)** They seemed to agree, and all moved into bed. I lay awake that night, thinking about everything that had happened. Eventually I slipped asleep, knowing that even if Marcus came, we would be ok. It was time to confront our fears.


	11. Chapter 10: Celeste Emily Ceran

**Disclaimer****: All I own is the Florintine family and an evil Marcus. The rest belong to the almighty Rick Riordan, whom I idolize.**

**AN: A cyber piece of toffee to everyone who reviewed.**

**ChristineCole: Thanks, and that is weird, isn't it?**

**klydo: Thank you, and confronting their fears was necessary.**

**Skywriter5: Yes, everyone pities the Florintines by now.**

**The Fabulous Killjoy: Not to worry, I might do a sequel. Key word is _might_. I have a lot of writing to do, so I might be too busy.**

**Kittycat32: I agree, I love that song.**

**BookReader10: Close, Percy says it to Nico.**

_Chapter 10_

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV<strong>

I took a deep, calming breath. We weren't going to let that stupid blackmailer frighten us. We had been beaten every day for years. Compared to that, what was a little blackmail? As we strode into the school, a poster caught my eye. It read:

**Cheerleader Tryouts**

**4:30-6:30**

**Captain: Celeste Emily Ceran**

Celeste? Ceran? C.C! Well, I wasn't about to be frightened by a barbie. I hissed into Maple's ear, "Emily is the blackmailer! Tell the rest of them; I'm going to do a little stunt."

Without another word I started walking over to her. just when I was about to pass her, I stuck out my foot, and she went sprawling. Her cellphone slipped out of her pocket, and I picked it up. Not even stopping to look at her, I went my way as if nothing had happened. As soon as I could, I rushed into the girl's bathroom, my sisters following me. I sliped the bubblegum pink phone out as I flipped through her history. Sure enough, there it was. Calmly I stepped outside. Walking up to her, I dropped the phone in her hand. "Go on," I goaded. "Call Marcus. See what happens. We don't care anymore." As one, we walked away calmly. We didn't have to talk. We knew that it was time to stand up to that bastard of a father. We would go to court if it was needed. And I would castrate him if he tried to abuse us again.

We ran into Percy and his friends. Wordlessly, I shoved the poster towards them, and walked past them again with my sisters. We didn't need revenge. We knew that very evil person would regret what they did one day. There was no need to do it to them.


	12. Chapter 11: Abrupt End

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**AN: I am sorry, but something happened in my life and I had no clue on how to continue this story. I'm sorry, and you may scream at me, but this is the last chapter. Revview and tell if you wan't an epilogue. If so, please find a song that suits the Florintines' life, because I can't.**

**Blue Ninja: Sorry, but the cuss words are necessary. It would be odd if an abusive father didn't cuss. Also, I think I would cuss a bit if I found out that someone had just contacted my abusive father of many years. And no, I don't live in Miami, the Florintines do.**

**Athenagal22: Why thank you!**

_Chapter 11_

* * *

><p><strong>Annabeth POV<strong>

I felt a strong urge to punch something. As soon as I saw that name, I had understood. Emily had wanted revenge for being told off, so she had followed the Florintines around. I stalked over to her. She turned around, smiling innocently. I growled, "Well? Did you send that text to Marcus?"

Something in my expression must have frightened her, and badly Whimpering, she shook her head. "I tried contacting him, but the number didn't work, so I looked him up. He's dead from a drug overdose. The police found out that he was illegally dealing drugs from a few documents."

I relaxed, then shoved her away. I ran all over the school, looking up and down for the Florintines. Finally I found them in the library. Panting, I recited everything. Rose nodded knowingly. "He had it coming for him. Emily can tell this whole entire school if she feels like it. We don't care anymore. We were the victims, and he abused us. We have done absolutely nothing wrong, so why feel like we did?"

I admired their courage. I probably would have never gone into human civilization again if that had happened to me. Somehow, I knew that Emily wasn't going to do anything anymore. Marcus had gotten what he deserved, and the Florintines were at peace. It was time to wash our hands of these first to months of our senior year and start fresh, without any secrets.

**Rose POV**

I took a small picture from my pocket. It was a picture of a smiling Marcus. This had been taken when he was still sane, when he still loved us. A small tear traced it's way down my cheek. I would remember him for those early years, instead of the dark, awful years. The leaving of our mother had snapped his fragile mind, and in a way he was to be ptiteid. But now it was time to live our life and to be free. I smiled, feeling myself light up. It was time to be free.

_**The End**_

**Dear Readers,**

** I'm sorry if you wanted Marcus to die a bloody death, but I couldn't. In a way, I sorta pitied him. Anyways, enter your songs and opinions!**

**Sincerely,**

**Rose Lillian Florintine **


	13. Chapter 12: AN

**AN: There will be no epilogue, sorry, but I just don't know what to do. A BIG THAN YOU TO ALL MY VIEWERS! I might do a sequel, but if I do, it might take a while. The wisest thing to do would be to put me on Author Alert and wait for it. Cyber-gold to everyone who ever reviewed!**

**klydo: Thanks, and I'll be ok. **

**Skywriter5: Thanks, I try, and I hope you will look at any of my future stories!**


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